Title and Physical Description
Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization fonds. – [originally created 1920-1962, copied ca. 2000], 2000-2004. – 1.8 m of textual records. – 36 microfilm reels
Administrative/Biographical History
The Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization (CMBC) was established on 17 May 1922 to provide assistance to Russian Mennonites who suffered from famine and political upheaval at the end of the First World War. David Toews of Rosthern, Saskatchewan was chosen as its chairperson. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) agreed to facilitate the refugees’ resettlement by offering transportation on a credit basis. The first refugee families arrived in Canada in July 1923, and continued until 1930 when the Canadian and Soviet governments curtailed immigration. Over 21,000 Mennonites immigrated to Canada during this period. The CMBC guaranteed the repayment of the CPR travel debt, which was settled in 1946. In 1947-1951 the CMBC supported a second wave of immigration from refugee camps in Germany, and in 1961-1964, a third wave of immigrants arrived from South America.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of microfilm copies and photocopies of registration forms, dated 1920-1930, 1947, 1949, and 1962. Each form lists names, birth dates, and birth places of members of a nuclear family, and dates and places of their origin, voyage, and settlement in Canada. Includes some instructions and correspondence of Judith Rempel, who led a project to index the names, ca. 2000-ca. 2004. Includes a digital index to the CMBC registration forms, 1947-1964.
Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Mennonite Heritage Centre, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, ca. 2000.
File List
1-1 CMBC registrations introduction, instructions to indexers, correspondence. – [ca. 1995], 2000-2004
1-2 CMBC registrations 1-99. – 1923 June-July
1-3 CMBC registrations 100-199. – 1923 July-1924 Jan.
1-4 CMBC registrations 200-299. – 1923 July-Nov.
1-5 CMBC registrations 300-399. – 1923 Aug.-1924 Jan.
1-6 CMBC registrations 400-499. – 1923 July-1924 Jan.
1-7 CMBC registrations 500-599. – 1923 Aug.-Sept.
2-1 CMBC registrations 600-699. – 1923 Sept-1924 Mar.
2-2 CMBC registrations 700-799. – 1923 Aug.-1924 June
2-3 CMBC registrations 800-899. – 1923 Oct.-1924 July
2-4 CMBC registrations 900-999. – 1924 July
2-5 CMBC registrations 1000-1099. – 1924 July-Aug
3-1 CMBC registrations 1100-1199. – 1924 Aug includes annotation
3-2 CMBC registrations 1200-1299. – 1924 Aug.
3-3 CMBC registrations 1300-1399. – 1924 Aug.
3-4 CMBC registrations 1400-1499. – 1924 Aug.-Sept.
3-5 CMBC registrations 1500-1599. – 1924 Sept.-Oct.
4-1 CMBC registrations 1600-1699. – 1924 Oct.-Dec.
4-2 CMBC registrations 1700-1799. – 1924 July-Dec.
4-3 CMBC registrations 1800-1899. – 1923 July-1924 Dec.
4-4 CMBC registrations 1900-1999. – 1920 Oct-1925 Sept.
4-5 CMBC registrations 2020-2099. – 1925 Oct.-Dec.
4-6 CMBC registrations 2100-2199. – 1924 Sept.-1925 Nov.
5-1 CMBC registrations 2200-2299. – 1925 Mar.-Nov.
5-2 CMBC registrations 2300-2399. – 1925 Apr.-Nov.
5-3 CMBC registrations 2400-2499. – 1925 Apr.-Nov.
5-4 CMBC registrations 2500-2599. – 1924 Jan.- 1926 Feb.
5-5 CMBC registrations 2600-2699. – 1922 Aug.- 1926 Feb.
5-6 CMBC registrations 2700-2799. – 1923 July-1925 Aug.
6-1 CMBC registrations 2800-2899. – 1923 Aug.-1925 Sept.
6-2 CMBC registrations 2900-2999. – ca. 1925 Sept.-Oct.
6-3 CMBC registrations 3000-3099. – ca. 1925 Oct.
6-4 CMBC registrations 3100-3199. – 1925 Sept.-Oct.
6-5 CMBC registrations 3200-3299. – 1924 July-1926 Mar.
6-6 CMBC registrations 3300-3399. – 1925 Jan.-1926 June
7-1 CMBC registrations 3400-3499. – 1926 Apr.-June
7-2 CMBC registrations 3500-3599. – 1923 June-1926 Aug.
7-3 CMBC registrations 3600-3699. – 1926 June-Aug.
7-4 CMBC registrations 3700-3799. – 1926 July-Sept.
7-5 CMBC registrations 3800-3899. – 1926 July-Sept.
7-6 CMBC registrations 3900-3999. – 1926 Aug.-Oct.
8-1 CMBC registrations 4000-4099. – 1926 Oct-Nov.
8-2 CMBC registrations 4100-4199. – 1923 July-1929 Dec.
8-3 CMBC registrations 4200-4299. – 1926 Apr.- 1929 Nov.
8-4 CMBC registrations 4300-4399. – 1923 July-1926 Sept.
8-5 CMBC registrations 4400-4499. – 1926 July-Oct.
8-6 CMBC registrations 4500-4599. – 1926 Sept.-Oct.
9-1 CMBC registrations 4600-4600.- 1926 Sept.-Nov.
9-2 CMBC registrations 4700-4798. – 1925 Oct-ca. 1927 July
9-3 CMBC registrations 4800-4899. – ca. 1926 July-ca. 1927 Aug.
9-4 CMBC registrations 4900-4999. – ca. 1925 Dec.-ca. 1929 Dec.
9-5 CMBC registrations 5000-5099. – ca. 1925 Feb.-ca. 1929 Oct.
9-6 CMBC registrations 5100-5199. – 1923 July-1928 July
9-7 CMBC registrations 5200-5299. – 1923 July-1929 Nov.
9-8 CMBC registrations 5300-5399. – 1926 Sept. – 1929 Nov.
9-9 CMBC registrations 5400-5499. – 1929 Aug.-Nov.
9-10 CMBC registrations 5500-5599. – 1929 Aug-Dec.
10-1 CMBC registrations 5600-5699. – 1928 Feb.-1929 Nov.
10-2 CMBC registrations 5705-5799. – 1947 Apr.-Oct. [5800-7099 missing]
10-3 CMBC registrations 7100-7148. – 1949 Jan. [7120-7146, 7149-7199 missing]
10-4 CMBC registrations 7200-7299. – 1949 Jan.-Feb.
10-5 CMBC registrations 7300-7379. – 1949 Jan.-Feb. [7380-10202 missing]
10-6 CMBC registrations 10203-10233. – ca. 1962 via Paraguay
10-7 CMBC index to registration forms (1947-1964). – [ca. 2004]